Humidifier material



Dec. 19,1933. N. C. WARD 1,939,837

` HUM'DIFIER IATERIAL Filed April 27. 19751 Z# Z522? e IWI/27224673 V632 @mami Patented Dec. 19, 1933 g UNITED 'STATES PATENT omer;

1,939,837` HUMIDIFIER MATERIALV Neil c. Ward, Chicago, nl.

Application April 27, 1931. Serial No. 533,160

1 claim. y (01.299-23) n The present invention has to do with a device which facilitates the evaporation of Water and relates to an improved humidifier as Well as the physical structure of such humidifier.

The primary object of a humidifier is to rapidly dissipate moisture into the atmosphere, generally converting water to vapor.

The objects of the present invention are t0 provide new and improved means for accomlo plishing this result.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved material whereby rapid evaporationof water may be had.

A. further object of the invention is to provide for use in a humidifier an absorbent which facilitates the evaporation of water on the one hand and.' on the other hand acts as a reservoir to hold a volume of water in reserve.

A. further object of the invention is a new and improvedtype of humidifier.

An additional object of the invention includes adaptation of a new material hereinafter described to employment upon a steam radiator or the like for the dissipation of steam into the atmosphere in a form suitable for proper humidification of the atmosphere of the room in which that radiator is disposed.

'Ihese objects,vand such other objects as may hereinafter appear, are obtained by the novel 3l) construction, unique arrangement, and improved combination of the several elements illustrated in the accompanying drawing, hereby made a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of material which may be used in the himidier herein described;

Figure 2 is a similar view of a second form of such material;

Figure 3 is an end view of the material illus- 401 trated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an end view of a humidier employing material like that shown in Figure 1, or in Figures 2 and 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of 45. the humidifier shown in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a top view of the humidifier illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

Like reference characters are used to designate similar parts in the drawing and in the descripi tion of the invention which follows.

Reference will be had first to Figures 1, 2, and

3. The basic material from whichV the two forms of absorbent illustrated in said gures is the same. Such material may be a relatively soft and highly porous wood, cut to blanks of,

say, one-quarter of an inch or more or less thickness, and of suitable length and breadth, i, e. four or ve inches by seven or eight inches. Asbestos or other materials may be substituted for Wood.

Such material as shown in Figure 1, at each side or face thereof, is cut longitudinally and transversely by a very ne saw blade dividing the face into small squares.

Such saw cuts extend to substantially the middle of the blank or sheet, and may', when it is desired, extend beyond such. median line. In the form of the. invention shown in Figure 1, the longitudinal saw cuts on one side should not register with the longitudinal saw cuts on the y other side, and the same is true in respect to the transverse saw cuts on opposite sides.

'Ihe form of the invention shown in Figures 2 and 3V isl preferred to that shown in Figure 1 for certain-purposes. l In. said form of the inven- (5 tion, the saw-cuts are obliquely disposed to provide a plurality of diamond shaped areas upon each side of the wood, the cuts extending to substantially the middle of the blank and those on opposite sides being maintained' out of registra- 30 tion. Other arrangements of slits are useful- The longitudinal cuts in Figure 1 are indi-- cated by the numeral 10 and' the transverse. by numeral 11. The squares are designated by the numeral 12. Y `a5 In Figures 2 and 3, the cuts in one direction are indicated by the numeral 13, those in the other direction by the numeral 14,- and the diamond shaped tufts by the numeral 15.

The saw cuts in each form are preferably very narrow and the grooves which the saw cuts form are most elective in the present device when the cuts 10 and 11, and 13 and 14 are substantially capillary in dimension.

The material shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, like 95 all soft woods, is highly absorbent. The natural absorbent qualities of the wood are greatly augmented by the saw cuts therein, which provide capillary channelsfor water to travel from that portion of the sheet which may be immersed in water to the upper edges thereof.

The area of the absorbent block exposed to the air is naturally Yincreased by the great number of saw cuts therein. Water, in the course of itsV `absorption by the material, is adapted to travel successively from one square or diamond shaped pad 12 or 15 upwardly.

The diagonal cuts 13 and 14 apparently are more eiective to cause rapid travel of the absorbed Water because theyV do not directly intersect on the one hand, the grain of the wood, or upon the other hand, run exactly therewith. Better results appear to be obtainable from saw cuts which neither directly traverse nor directly follow the course of the grain of the wood.

Two embodiments of the material, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, as used in humidifying devices are illustrated in the succeeding figures. In Figures 4, 5 and 6, a pan type of humidifier, suitable for use upon `a radiator, is illustrated.

In such figures, the radiator is indicated by the numeral 20. Upon the top thereof, is a pan 21. The pan 21 is of suitable-depth.l Arranged either transversely or longitudinally thereof are a plurality of racks or rails 22 which comprise parallel strip members spaced apart sufficiently to admit of the insertion therebetween of sheet material such as is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Adjacent paired strips are closely spaced but leave suiicient room therebetween for the travel of air.

Where there are no conflicting air channels provided, the absorbenty strips 23 may be arranged longitudinally of the radiator, but where air ducts are arranged as is indicated in Figure 4, the better form of arrangement is to have the strips traverse the pan 21.

The absorbent material 23 may be supported at the top thereof but this is not necessary for said material 23 is maintained in its upright position by reason of the strips 22 and because of its own physical makeup.

Over the radiator 20, there may be provided a hood to direct warm air from the radiator between the various absorbent pads asis shown in Figure 4. Such hood comprises a front 24 which terminates in an angular portion 25 which angular portion may extend across the top of the radiator and support the pan 21. The back of the radiator is covered by sheet metal or the like 26 which has an extension 27 above and over the various absorbent strips 23, the front being open or provided with a grille at 28 to allow the escape of air which travels upwardly through and alongside of the radiator 20 and which is deflected by the member 25 to the back of the radiator where the air follows the course indicated through opening 29.

After reaching an horizontal plane above that of pan 21, which pan is lled with water, the air travels outwardly, escaping through the grille or open front 28. In the course of the air from the open passage 29 to the front of the device 28, the warm air of the radiator must pass between and in close proximity and in contact with the absorbent plates 23, from which absorbent plates which are thoroughly saturated with the water contained in the pan 21, the heated air is adapted to absorb substantially its capacity at the temperature at which it passes between and about said plates 23. This moistened air escapes into the atmosphere through the opening 28 and is normally Warmer than the air in the surrounding atmosphere. It is cooled by said surrounding air, the cooling not being sufficiently sharp to'cause deposit of any moisture, but providing in the atmosphere of the room in which the device is employed with sucient moisture to raise the moisture content of the air therein to the desired point of saturation, which in this country appears to be about forty per cent saturation point and which in Germany and other foreign countries is preferred to be about fty per cent of such saturation.

The water in pan 21 is heated by the radiator 20. Such water, however, at al1 times, is being absorbed by the porous wood plates 23 and is prone to pass into the form of vapor upon contact therewith of air which is not saturated to its capacity of moisture. The result is that the plates 23 cause very rapid evaporation of water, and a concurrently rapid increase in the moisture carried by any atmosphere which passes in contact therewith.`

Of course, the form of humidier shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, may be widely modied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A humidier comprising a base in which water is disposed, and a plurality of wood plates disposed with a section of each plate immersed in the water in said reservoir, said plates having capillary grooves upon the surface thereof.

NEIL C. WARD. 

